Pages

The Dragon’s Egg by H.B. Bolton ~ Blog Tour & Giveaway!

12:00 AM

The Dragon’s Egg (Relics of Mysticus - Book Three) by H.B. Bolton

Sure, the glass castle floating over Evan’s head makes him uneasy, but that’s the least of his worries. With each step inside the Dungeon of Dreadful Dreams, he must battle against his worst nightmares. One after the other, wispy smoke-filled bull sharks come at him — he must remember they’re only illusions pulled from his imagination by those dreaded shadowlike hands. If only the vengeful dragon circling above was also an illusion and didn’t have his mind set on destroying the one person who can control him: Emrys.Inside the castle’s glass tower, Emrys sleeps in an eternal slumber, and Evan’s uncertain whether he can save the great wizard. Especially now that Emrys’ former student, the Lady of the Lake, has joined forces with the cunning immortal Alamaz. Together they have already stolen the Dragon’s Egg, but their greed doesn’t end there. The Siren’s Pearl calls to them, and that means only one thing … Atlantis is in trouble.Join Evan, Claire, and Dunkle — along with a few other unlikely heroes — as they travel across the realm of Medieval Legends, float through the Ancient Isle of Avalon, plunge inside the Dungeon of Dreadful Dreams, and be there when Atlantis rises once again.

Evan and Claire Jones are typical teenagers, forced to go with their parents to yet another boring museum … that is, until something extraordinary happens to make their day a little more than interesting. After following a strange little creature into a closed exhibit, Evan and his older sister, Claire, discover the Serpent’s Ring, one of the magical relics formed from the shattered Mysticus Orb. Purely by accident, they have awakened its powers and opened a portal to Sagaas, land of ancient gods.Before the siblings can comprehend what has happened, the Serpent’s Ring is wrenched from Evan’s hand by an enormous fish and flown back to Aegir, the Norse god of the sea. Evan and Claire, accompanied by a band of unlikely heroes, must retrieve the Serpent’s Ring before Aegir uses its immense powers to flood all the lands on Earth.

The Trickster's Totem (Relics of Mysticus - Book Two)

Life has returned to normal for fourteen-year-old Evan and his older sister, Claire. That is until Dunkle, a clever but stinky little imp, pays an unexpected visit to their school. He has come to take the siblings back to Sagaas, the mythical realm of the gods. Once again, a Relic from the ancient Mysticus Orb has fallen into the wrong hands. Only Evan and Claire, with their unique mystical abilities, can help find it.Through the power of the Trickster’s Totem, a coyote trickster has escaped. His laughter echoes throughout the realm, as he spreads mischief and mayhem. He burns an entire crop of popcorn, carves his grinning image into sacred artifacts, and things really get interesting when he shape-shifts into Evan’s friends.Claire and Evan must capture the Trickster, retrieve the Totem, and be careful not to become sidetracked by robotic Steampunk animals, “sweet” pixie-like Pains, and a problematic mermaid … all while dodging Mothman-like aces. Most surprising, Evan discovers the true reason dragons exist in the Native American Spirit World.

Book Excerpt

A scheft, sheesh sounded somewhere behind him, and he spun on his heels. It was Lazonia, standing in the center of a narrow street. Evan hadn’t seen Lazonia since he was in Asgard, but he remembered her well. Her tail had formed into human legs — as is the case with mermaids on dry land. Amethysts and sapphires trailed around Lazonia’s body like sequins glistening under the moonlight. Strands of lavender-colored hair hung across her angst-ridden face as she twisted and turned her feet awkwardly across the stone pavers. Something was wrong — terribly wrong, and goose bumps sprouted along Evan’s arm. “Evan,” she said.“Lazonia, what’re you doing here?” Evan asked, studying her ghostlike eyes. “I need your help. Come with me.” She appeared much like a frightened cat as she inched backward. And that’s when it happened. Her entire body blinked like a broken television screen. “What’s going on with you? It’s like you’re here, but not really here.” “You wouldn’t believe me if I told you.”“Let me take you to Dunkle. He’ll know how to help you.” Evan offered his hand to her. A little closer and he’d reach her, but suddenly her eyes widened and she fled. “Lazonia, wait up!”With the efficiency of a shark in the water, her translucent body wove around lampposts and tore past buildings. Just when he thought he had lost sight of her, he noticed a white light trailing in the distance. He rushed faster and had almost caught up to her, when she ran to the edge of the island and raced toward the first of two waterways. She approached the hydraulic bridge and did something completely unexpected — she leapt over top of it. Her body soared across the span of at least 40 feet, easily clearing the first band of water. “Hey, since when could you jump like that?” Evan called after her, but she didn’t bother to even glance his way. Instead, she simply raced the hundred or so feet across the land ring. Without breaking her stride, she hopped into the air and jetted across the second band of water. Evan watched in amazement as she landed on Atlantis’ outer land ring. “I’m not chasing after you anymore! Come here and talk to me!” Except she was already long gone, and now, he stood alone. Still, he hollered after her. “You’re acting weird! I’m getting Dunkle!”

Just as he turned to head back, an irresistible noise came from behind — sweet and enticing. An enchanting melody flowed along the shoreline, inviting him to follow it. Evan shook his head to clear his thoughts, but the song only intensified. “Wait a minute …. What was I about to do?” He staggered along the beach, searching for a sign of Lazonia. Suddenly her delicate footprints radiated in the sand. If he could just remember … something or another. He willed his legs to stop moving, but it was too late. He had to find her. Strange, her footprints led towards an enormous rock formation and abruptly ended as if she had walked right smack into it. “Evan!” Someone shouted at him from the ocean. It was a female, but she didn’t sound like Lazonia. “Evan, look at me!” No, she wasn’t Lazonia, and he didn’t really care to figure out who she was. Music came at him from inside the rock formation. Lazonia was behind a wall of stone, he just knew it. He clawed at large boulders, but the tips of his fingers simply chafed against the rocky surface. He needed to get inside, but how?Illustration is from The Dragon’s Egg

About the author

A magical part of H.B. Bolton’s childhood was being swept into worlds of enchanting

characters, fantastical creatures and extraordinary powers—simply by picking up a book. As a mother and a teacher, she was compelled to create imaginary worlds of her own in order to share them, not just with her children, but with all children. H.B. Bolton lives in Florida with her supportive husband and two highly spirited children. Shh, can you keep a secret? Not only does she write books for the young-at-heart, adventurous sort who yearn to dive into a good young-adult fantasy story, she also writes spellbinding, heart pounding women’s fiction. These particular books are written under the name Barbara Brooke, but that’s another story, altogether.

Hello!

I'm Aparna, an artist based out of New Delhi. In addition to being an architecture graduate, and now a full-time illustrator, I've been blogging about my love of books, decor & fashion since early 2011. I also post weekly comics about life as an introvert, (mis)adventures of reluctant adulting, the puppy eyed and much bearded love of my life (now husband), and my (very real) imaginary cat called Billi.